


take a deep breath, it's always sunny

by Moondragon8



Series: fake happy [2]
Category: Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys - My Chemical Romance (Album)
Genre: Battery City, Gen, POV Second Person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:48:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25866943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moondragon8/pseuds/Moondragon8
Summary: The new girl in the office is strange.
Series: fake happy [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1877002
Comments: 10
Kudos: 2





	take a deep breath, it's always sunny

The new girl at the office is strange.

You don't pass judgements on your coworkers, as a general rule. But she is strange, and she's affecting your productivity, so you feel like it's within your rights to judge her for it. 

For one thing, she keeps moving while you're working, and keeps engaging you in conversation, even when you don't particularly want to be in conversation. Neither of these things are good or productive for a work enviroment. 

Also, she always avoids the question "where were you transferred from?", saying "You wouldn't know it." It's not a big city, _Darla_. You would absolutely know it, _Darla_. 

You talked with Susan the other day and Susan correlated your opinion. 

"She's always too loud," Susan said. "I've suggested she adjust her headphone volume, but she doesn't seem to be taking my advice. Also, she's used up about half of the water supply."

"Drinking it?"

"What else?"

You decide to confront her about this. You've never confronted anyone about anything before, but you have high hopes.

"Darla?"

"Oh, hi!"

"Hello. I was sent here by Susan--well, not really. I came here of my own volition. But Susan brought up the fact that you drank about half of the office water supply, and that's just not polite."

"Oh. Sorry. I mean, just, if there's water, why NOT drink it, is what I always say! But. Sorry."

"It's alright," you say, because of course it is. Everything is always all right. 

She stops drinking as much water after that. 

On Darla's first day at the office, you (a different you) hear her humming. It doesn't sound like Pop Song #1 (the current favorite of most), Pop Song #2, or even Pop Song #4 (your secret favorite.)

"Is that Rock Song #1?" you ask at lunchtime. 

She looks up from the food she's been staring at without eating it. "Um. No."

"What is it, then?" you say, confused. "Classical Music #1?"

"Dude, all music is classical here," she says. 

"I suppose that's true! Most of our music has been around since Battery City began, you know," you say. "Of course, there's always the few actual _bands,_ which precede Battery City!" You pride yourself on your musical knowledge. 

"Wow," she says. 

"So what's the song you were humming?" 

"Oh, um...it's an alternative song."

"Alternative song..." you say thoughtfully. "Do you mean rock?"

"I guess? A little disco?"

"Ohh, is it a _band?"_ you say. "Don't worry, I don't judge people for listening to bands."

She almost chokes on the mouthful of mashed potatoes she's been eating. "I think you'd judge me for listening to this."

"What's it called?" you say insistently. You're starting to get a headache. 

She mumbles something. 

"What?"

"....Sleshers." She pronounces the s at the end strangely. 

"Threshers?"

"Sleshers." She mumbles something else. 

This conversation is seriously lowering your serotonin levels, so you think you might just leave and look up the Sleshers later.

When you do, you find no record. You ask one of your hippest friends, who listens to "Panic! At The Disco", and she just shrugs. 

Strange. And frustrating, considering how catchy the tune was, and that she stops humming after your conversation.

You're one of the youngest people at the office--you just started working here last month--so when the new hire, Darla, arrives, you're relieved to have someone else on your level. 

She quickly starts putting you off, though, because...there's something off about her. Her hair is always in a hat, but that wouldn't strike you as so strange except for the other things.

Like the water thing, and the humming, and she's always shivering like she thinks it's cold.

Also, one time, you show her some new black boots you got, and she says they're "shiny". 

They are not metallic. 

You have some theories, but you don't say them. Your co-workers wouldn't believe you, probably.

Still, when she leaves, you feel a little more lonely. 

Some of you will forget her entirely. Some of you will retell the story of the strange young coworker around your dinner tables and laugh at her enthusiasm. Some of you will struggle to figure out just what it was about her that was so off.

A very, very few people--those who talked to her most, will wake up in the night, feeling too cold even though Battery City is perfectly conditioned, and say the words desert rat, rebel, _killjoy_ silently to your ceiling.

The words will be washed away in the morning static.


End file.
